Letter: Keep the faith

Oh ye of little faith. A few billboards popping up around Sacramento reminding us that Congress shall pass no law respecting an establishment of religion, and here people go again with accusations of a war on Christmas and baby Jesus.

I'm not certain why the very existence of nonbelievers would upset people so. Is not their own faith strong?

After all, nonbelievers live daily in a world dominated by Christian communities of faith. Particularly at this time of year, signs, symbols, music and even foods of the religious are foisted upon the masses with no regard to nonbelievers, much less believers in faiths other than Christianity. Why are fundamental Christians, even when they're the majority, so über sensitive, hyper-critical, and even disdainful of others, be they non-Christian or simply nonbelievers?

It doesn't help that fundamentalist evangelicals believe we're all doomed to hell damnation if we don't believe exactly as they believe. Dare I suggest this is not a great conversation starter when reaching out to the masses? Rather than turning the other cheek, these extremists of shaky faith will even deface billboards as a demonstration of their zealotry and, yes, dangerous and self-righteous intolerance.